P
Glossary Term
Updated 03 Aug 2026
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) — PPC is an online advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Google Ads is the most popular PPC platform.
What is PPC?
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is a digital advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked by a user. It's essentially a way of buying visits to your site, rather than earning them organically.
How PPC Works
Advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their target audience. When a user searches for those keywords, the search engine runs an auction to determine which ads appear and in what order. The auction considers both bid amount and Quality Score.
Popular PPC Platforms
- Google Ads — The largest PPC platform, covering Search, Display, Shopping, and YouTube
- Microsoft Advertising — Ads on Bing and Yahoo networks
- Meta Ads — Facebook and Instagram advertising
- LinkedIn Ads — B2B-focused advertising platform
Key PPC Metrics
- CPC (Cost Per Click) — Average cost for each click
- CTR (Click-Through Rate) — Percentage of impressions that result in clicks
- Quality Score — Google's rating of ad relevance and landing page experience
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) — Revenue generated per dollar spent on ads
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